Release
by Ran Anxiang
Summary: One year after her initial imprisonment, Integra is released to deal with new freak activity. Probable Shoujo-ai.
1. Release

Disclaimer: I do not own Hellsing, I am merely borrowing its characters for my own amusement; I am not making any money whatsoever on this particular piece of fiction.

* * *

There was a knock at my door; a knock, after so many months of nothing.

"It's open," I called out, chuckling at the irony of the statement.

There was the sound of a key entering the lock, and the ka-chink of the bolt sliding back. The door creaked on its hinges as if it hadn't been used in a long time. 'Which I suppose is the case, considering how long I've been down in this God forsaken little hole of theirs.' Again I chuckled, sniggered almost, holding my hand up to my mouth to stifle the noise as the man stepped into the room.

"Ah, Sir Roberts. To what do I owe this magnanimous honor?" The look on his face as he caught sight of my feral grin was absolutely priceless. He visibly gulped as he move the file folder he was carrying upward in a useless attempt to protect his frail body. I laughed low in my throat. "What's the matter, Sir? Aren't I being a proper host? Here, let me pull up a chair for you."

I moved over to the table in the center of my cell and pulled out a chair motioning for him to sit. He seemed to jump slightly at my hand movement, and then squeaked before clearing his throat in a pathetic effort to even out his quavering voice. "Ah..uh…yes, there will be no need for that Sir Integra. I mean…ah, I am here to issue a pardon from her majesty, whom in her infinite benevolence has seen fit to release you."

His voice calmed as he settled into what was obviously a prepared speech. "Her Majesty, the queen thanks you for your patience…" His nasal voice trailed off when I lifted my gaze upward to look him straight in the eye. Long before my imprisonment, my glare had truly been a frightening thing. Deep and piercing, it was as if I could see into a person's soul through their eyes, or so Alucard was fond of telling me. After one year away from the sun, my skin having taken on a shade of whitish blue, combined with my feral attitude was enough to make this small, puny bureaucrat piss himself in fear.

I began to laugh, starting low and gradually rising in pitch until full out maniacal chortling was reverberating off the stone walls of my cell. After a few seconds I cut my laughter abruptly and said quietly, "What new trouble has sprung up, that Her Majesty would consider giving me my freedom, minister? Have the FREAKs finally become too much for MI-5 to handle all alone? Has some new breed of vampire crept up that the SAS is no longer capable of handling?" 'As if they were ever capable of handling anything,' I thought to myself, eliciting yet another small snicker.

"Tell me minister, what does Her Majesty require of me this time?" I spread my arms out wide giving the man in front of me the idea, I'm sure, that the mad woman was complacent once more, and would be willing to follow orders for a time.

"Here," he said, holding out the folder. He straightened himself upward and attempted to act as though he hadn't been cringing a moment before. "All the information you need is contained within this file." I reached out my right hand and took the folder from him gently, smiling slightly when he pulled his hand rapidly away as if he'd just been burned.

"Right, then. You're free to go, Sir Integra." The minister began to back his way out of the room, seemingly wanting to be out of the area when I decided to emerge from my containment. I grinned evilly, as I looked at his retreating form. I called out, "I've always been free to go, Sir Roberts. I simply chose to wait until my release was sanctioned by Queen and Country."

Sir Roberts did not give a reply, instead he disappeared into the darkness of the hallway.

I smiled as I flipped open the file and perused the contents, the picture on top of the papers within catching my attention instantly. It was a picture of a FREAK chip, only this chip was different somehow, slightly longer, not quite symmetrical anymore.

"Alucard," I called out, waiting a few moments until he materialized behind me, probably sliding in through the cracks in the mortar of my cell's walls. "I assume Walter is outside waiting for me with the car." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Of course, master." I could hear the wicked smile in Alucard voice, thoughts of what he could do now that his master was finally free probably flitting through his mind. "Good. Now come Alucard, we have work to do."

* * *

Despite the pollution of centuries of industry, the smell of the London air was sweet to my deprived senses. I breathed deeply of it as I stepped out into the night, passing through a small side door of the complex in which I had been held onto a concourse that wove its way around the grounds before reaching a gate set into the high stone wall. Walking along in silence, Alucard at my side, I quietly reveled in my freedom.

"Happy to be rid of that place, master? Although I must say, that show you put on for the minister sent chills up even my cold spine. I doubt anyone will be comfortable in your presence ever again once the story get out." Alucard smirked in his usual sinuous fashion.

"As well they should, Alucard. I am utterly tired of dealing with them anyway."

We walked on in silence for a few more minutes, before Alucard spoke again. "I believe you are going to find much has changed during your months of absence."

"That's not surprising, Alucard. I'm not naive enough to think everything would be the same." I shot him a sideways glance. Alucard wasn't usually this hesitant in his wording; there was something he hiding from me, something very important.

"What is it you're not telling me Alucard, hmm? What has occurred that is so drastic you've seen fit not to tell me about it during the nights you've visited me in my cell this past year."

"There is something wrong with the FREAKs, master, amongst other things which I will leave Walter to speak of. After all it is he that recommended I not tell you anything until you were released. He was afraid you'd do something drastic, in order to escape and deal with the problem." Alucard paused as if waiting for something.

"Something drastic? Like drinking your blood and taking the curse of the vampire upon myself?" I pondered out loud.

"Perhaps." Alucard said quietly, continuing to walk silently next to me; silent in the way only a vampire can be.

We reached the gate in the wall without further conversation. The ever calm Walter greeted me with a bow and motioned me into the car with a small sweep of his hand. I slid into the back seat and Walter shut my door behind me. Alucard did not follow me into the car, preferring as always, his own form of transport through the night. Walter opened the driver's side door, and upon settling himself gracefully into the seat, started the car engine.

"Open all the windows, Walter."

"That would be most inappropriate Sir."

"Propriety be damned, Walter I've spent far too many days in an airless hole in the ground to care about what's proper or not. I need to feel the wind on my face. I need to feel alive again."

I could see the smile play across Walter's face in the rearview mirror. "Of course, Sir."

Driving along the streets of London with the wind on my face was as close to bliss as I have ever come, I think. I honestly couldn't wait for morning to come so I could enjoy the sunrise before falling asleep in my own bed.

"Tell me Walter, what is it that Alucard has kept secret from me upon order by you?"

Walter stayed silent for a long time before answering my question. "To put it frankly, Sir, by previous order of the queen, Hellsing Organisation was disbanded. While we have recently been granted approval to reestablish the standing troop divisions, we are still at a major loss for men. Hellsing has been broken."

"Damn it Walter, you should have had Alucard tell me!" I shouted, anger flashing through my body, surging up out of the considerable reserve I'd gathered during my incarceration.

"There was nothing you could do about it Sir. If you had been notified at the time, you would have most likely done something…," Walter paused, "highly detrimental to your honor."

I sighed, sitting back in my seat. "I suppose you are correct, Walter. Do me a favour, though."

"Yes, Sir?"

"Tell me there's some good news to be found amid the rubbish."

"I am afraid there really isn't any good news to be had, Sir." Walter smiled faintly. "Your organisation truly is in shambles, and I am afraid this new FREAK problem is going to cause nothing but headaches for all."

I groaned aloud as Walter made the final turn of the trip, pulling the car to a stop in front of the gates to Hellsing Manor. Reaching out of the window, he keyed the entry code on the numerical pad nearby, and I heard the click as the locks released and the gates slid open. Driving into the compound, the gates closing behind us, I couldn't help but feel relieved somewhat despite the unnecessary pressures placed upon me by my long absence.

"Stop here Walter, I wish to walk the rest of the way." The car slowed and once its momentum had ceased, I stepped out. "Also Walter, I will be in my office, I would like very much not to be disturbed if at all possible."

"Of course, Sir. Shall I at least send up tea?"

"Yes, Walter. Thank you."

* * *

I desperately wanted a shower, wanted nothing more than to finally wash the stench of that cell off my body. 'Ah, duty before pleasure, though,' I sighed to myself.

I reached my office to find nothing had changed in my absence; settling into the chair behind my desk and placing the folder before me. Flicking on the nearby lamp, I opened the file and began to read.

The information I found within that folder was disturbing to say the least, although honestly not entirely unexpected. According to the transcripts, MI-5 had managed to root out the rest of the FREAK factories and disable all of them a little over ten months ago. They were absolutely sure they'd gotten the last one until nine weeks ago when a FREAK enclave surfaced in the middle of downtown London.

Apparently MI-5 was sent in and after suffering grievous losses, opted to torch the building and all inside in order to contain losses.

'Damned sloppy if you ask me.' I snorted to myself.

Picking through the rubble of the gutted building after the fire had been extinguished produced the distorted, elongated FREAK chip in the picture I was now staring at. Sipping at the cup of tea, that Walter had brought to me minutes before, I set the picture down and continued to read the report.

Scientific analysis of the chip had produced no reliable results. However, it was determined that the vampire carrying the chip had been one of eight survivors found at the last FREAK factory to be routed.

The survivors, according to MI-5 were at the time, completely human; exhibiting no FREAK behavior whatsoever. The report I was reading, of course, contained no mention of whether or not these "survivors" were actually examined to see if they contained FREAK chips.

'It would figure they would be careless in their handling of the situation,' I thought as I turned to the last page in the file. On it was a description of the odd behavior of the ghoul servants that MI-5 had been fighting against.

Eyewitness accounts of the few surviving soldiers told of ghouls that were intelligent, almost humanly so, that fought like berserkers with coordinated movements, never stopping to feed on the dead. Also, it was found that those bitten by ghouls did not appear to become ghouls themselves, something thus far completely unheard of in vampire lore.

"I'll have to ask Alucard what he thinks about all this tonight," I yawned closing the folder, sliding it into one of my desk drawers locking it up tight. Swiveling my chair around to face the windows behind me, I could see the sun just beginning to peek over the tree-line outside as I rose from my seat. I have never before in my life seen a more beautiful sunrise then the one I was witnessing this morning. Tonight would bring untold troubles, but for now I was determined to merely enjoy the moment.

To be continued…

This work is dedicated to my sister. Without her help I would never have been able to sit down and write it in the first place.


	2. Complications

Disclaimer: I do not own Hellsing, I am merely borrowing its characters for my own amusement; I am not making any money whatsoever on this particular piece of fiction.

A/N: All first-person sections are from Integra's point of view. All other sections follow a sort of third-person limited from one of the other character's points of view.

* * *

Seras Victoria was fighting for her life, and of course Alucard was nowhere to be found. Swinging the Hallconnen downwards, she fired an incendiary round into a small group of ghouls advancing rapidly on her position, only to have half of them jump out of the way avoiding the blast all together.

'What the hell?'

The ghouls weren't doing anything they were supposed to do tonight. Agile and quick, they climbed the walls of the warehouse with ease, swinging down out of nowhere to attack. Many were landing small hits on Seras; gashes and low caliber bullet wounds that were beginning to wear on the young vampire.

She staggered as she felt the impact of high caliber weapon's fire coming from behind. Tearing through her lower back two bullets exited through her abdomen in a spray of warm red blood, leaving gaping holes in their wake.

'You should be better prepared for this, Police Girl.' Alucard's voice slid into Seras's mind.

'Damn it, master! No one knew it would be like this. Not even you, I expect.'

Alucard laughed as he materialized behind her, placing the barrel of his 454 Cassul against the forehead of the ghoul that had just injured Seras. With a swift squeeze of the trigger the ghoul's entire head exploded in a mess of gore.

'I am prepared for anything, Police Girl. You should know that by now.'

The rather bloody Seras Victoria sighed, 'it really isn't so much as you're prepared for everything, master. Its more like you're entirely indestructible.'

Alucard chuckled, dematerializing and reappearing in front of his servant vampire, firing off two more rounds at close range into the heads of the last of the approaching ghouls.

'I can't believe how human these ghouls look, master.' Seras exclaimed before shouldering the Hallconnen and pulling out her smaller Walther sidearm, putting two rounds into a ghoul approaching from above, springing down from the ceiling.

Earlier when she'd first entered the warehouse, Seras had gotten the shock of her life when a ghoul had launched itself out of doorway straight at her, rapidly pulling the trigger on its Glock. Most of the bullets had missed, but two had found their mark in her left shoulder, tearing out a great deal of her flesh as they passed through. The ghoul had still been sailing through the air towards her when she'd recovered from the impact and had readied her body to strike.

However, before she could make a move, she'd found herself paralyzed as she gazed into the wild, frightening face of the _human_ that had fired upon her. The hesitation had cost her the moment and her attacker had collided with her, wrapping its arms around her. It had slammed a small knife that it had been carrying in its left hand into Seras's back while it had bit ferociously at her exposed neck.

She had managed to throw the berserker off of her before it punctured her jugular; the thing landing in a heap fifteen feet down the hallway before scrambling up again and running towards her. Bringing the Hallconnen to bear on the attacking human Seras had hesitated again.

'It's not human Police Girl! Destroy it!' Alucard's voice had come thundering into her mind.

'But…but it doesn't look like a ghoul, master!'

'Smell it Police Girl, it may look human but it's not! Kill it before it kills you!'

Unable to refuse her master, Seras had fired a depleted uranium round into the creature point blank, leaving nothing left of the ghoul but a smear on the floor and nearby wall.

Despite her reservations, Seras had continued to dispatch as many ghouls as she could. However, the acrobatic shenanigans of this new breed of ghouls had proved too much for her to handle alone. She would probably have been looking at permanent death, had Alucard not shown up when he had.

"Master," Seras said as she re-holstered her Walther. "Where's the FREAK that's controlling these ghouls?"

As if simply the word itself was a summoning incantation, the FREAK vampire in question, a tall, broad man with grey, blonde hair stepped slowly out of the shadows at the end of the hallway. "I'm right here, lass." Before Seras could react, the FREAK swung his two MP-5s upward and opened fire on her and Alucard. Alucard, ever the gentleman, bore the brunt of the attack, accepting the 9mm slugs into his body, reveling in the feeling of the bullets tearing through his flesh.

'That's disgusting master.'

'Someday Police Girl when you are free, pain will cease to have meaning for you.' Alucard laughed quietly.

Despite the pool of blood rapidly forming on the floor, the attack didn't faze Alucard; something the arrogant FREAK wasn't at all expecting. As his right arm was reattaching itself, Alucard brought forth his left and fired off three rounds from his Jackal. The first tore through the barrel of the FREAK's left MP-5, the second impacting the trigger of the right, blowing off the pseudo-vampire's finger in the process. The third would have found its mark in the FREAK's forehead, had he not moved at the last second.

Abandoning his ruined weapons the FREAK charged Alucard, managing to dodge a majority of the rounds the Hellsing vampire fired at him. With a loud snick, two blades shot out of the FREAK's coat sleeves as he closed the final few feet between him and Alucard.

'Are you ready, Police Girl?' Alucard asked his protégée calmly.

'Always, master.'

With that confirmation, Alucard vanished into nothing, and the FREAK found himself crashing into the business end of Seras's Hallconnen, instead of slamming his blades into Alucard's chest as he had intended.

"It's just not your day, mate." Seras Victoria said calmly as she blasted the FREAK into so many tiny, little pieces with an incendiary round.

When Alucard rematerialized, he looked at the mess the warehouse had become, and began to laugh at the destruction around him.

"Honestly master, I'm never going to understand your taste for devastation." Seras sighed as she herself looked around at the bloody chaos.

"When you are as old as I am now, Police Girl we shall see what your hobbies are."

With that last statement, Alucard disappeared from sight. Seras sighed again. Reaching down to her belt, she activated her radio.

"Walter."

"Yes, Miss Victoria?"

"Mission accomplished, Walter. Notify MI-5 that they can send in their clean-up squad."

'God, I hate relying on MI-5. If only Hellsing hadn't been scattered.' Seras thought to herself.

"I'll see to it personally, Miss Victoria. Also, Sir Integra wishes a full mission report in her office in one hour. And if you would, find the chip that was inside the FREAK."

"I will Walter. Sir Integra won't be disappointed. Oh, and Walter?"

"Yes, Miss Victoria?"

"Call me Seras. We've been through too much to worry about formality."

"Of course, Miss Victoria."

The radio went dead and Seras sighed yet again. 'I swear, I think he does that on purpose.'

Using her excellent vision she was able to locate the surprisingly intact chip without much trouble. As she was about to leave though, a thought occurred to her. Walking over to one of the less damaged ghoul bodies, Seras knelt down and lifted the dead weight onto her, by now, thankfully repaired left shoulder.

'Might as well take one of these back for study. Walter might be able to make out something useful about them.'

Turning on her heel, Seras found the back exit of the warehouse, and with one last glance behind her hastened out into the night.

* * *

"Tell me Walter, why exactly did Officer Victoria bring home a dead body?"

"She seems to think it will be useful for scientific study, Sir."

I had to resist rolling my eyes at this remark, settling instead for looking heavenward before returning my gaze back to Walter's patient form.

"I seem to remember only requesting the FREAK chip be brought back, Walter."

"Of course, Sir. Miss Victoria was operating entirely on her own when she returned a short time ago with the body in question."

I sighed steepling my fingers. Before I was able to begin again, though, there was a knock at my office door.

"That would most likely be Miss Victoria coming to give you her report, Sir."

"Right. Walter, I expect a full analysis of that chip. And you might as well examine the ghoul while you're at it. No point in letting it go to waste."

"Very good, Sir. Also," Walter paused, "I'm going to have to call in some…ah, assistance in finding men to fill our ranks."

"Do whatever you deem necessary, Walter."

"Right, Sir."

He bowed before turning and walking towards the door.

I reached down into my desk drawer to retrieve a cigar. After pausing for a moment at the door to carry on a short conversation with Walter, of which I only caught Walter saying "just be polite," Seras Victoria moved into the room shutting the door behind her. By the time she had walked up to stand before my desk, I had trimmed and lit the cigar, drawing deeply on it. Seras paused, waiting to be acknowledged and I ignored her for a moment taking the time to enjoy the smoke filling my lungs.

I exhaled, "Report, Officer."

Seras, standing at attention, began her report in a slightly quavering voice, which relaxed into her usual firm soprano as her account wove on. I found her attention to detail most useful. However, her description of the severity of her wounds was most unsettling to me.

She finished her narrative and stood waiting quietly for me to say something.

"Very good, Officer Victoria. I am however, concerned with the amount of damage you tell me you received during the mission. While you appear to be alright now, I find it difficult to believe that a vampire of your pedigree would be so unaware of her surroundings as to allow herself be as injured as you were. Hellsing Organisation is going to need your help if it is to survive. I expect to see a drastic increase in your performance from here on out Officer."

I could see my words sink in as the look in Seras's eyes underwent various emotional alterations, beginning first with fear, changing rapidly to a flare of anger, and then settling back into something closer to determination. I was glad to have elicited such a reaction in the girl, and felt secure in the knowledge that this young vampire wouldn't disappoint her master's master a second time.

"Upon my honor Sir, I swear to you, I'll not let you down."

"See that you don't." I almost dismissed her then, but she looked like she still had something to say. "What is it, Officer?"

"I only wanted to say…, it's good to have you back sir."

"Thank you, Seras."

The girl nodded her head once, the positively glowing look on her face telling me I'd made the right choice when I'd decided to call her by something a little less formal than usual.

"That will be all for tonight."

"Yes, Sir." She bowed slightly before turning and silently exiting my office.

I sighed, reaching down to snub out my cigar. Seras Victoria's report had given me plenty to think about; a new type of ghoul didn't really bode well in the short or the long run of things, not to mention a FREAK that despite the ease with which the duo dispatched him appeared to be faster than the average FREAK.

'Human troops will have much trouble dealing with them, master.' Came Alucard's voice in the back of my mind.

"Indeed, Alucard."

The vampire slid through the walls of my office like they were not even there, coming to rest on the floor next to my desk.

"Tell me vampire, what would you suggest? Sending only you and Seras in on every mission?"

Alucard chucked, "Despite the effectiveness of that solution, I believe I would eventually become bored of the arrangement."

"And we all know how unreliable you are when you are bored."

Alucard's chuckle deepened into a low laugh.

"That was a good job you did with Police Girl. I think you're liable to have a loyal follower for life if you keep it up."

I snorted. "Thank you Alucard. I'll remember that."

There was a moment of silence between us before I posed a question to him.

"Give me your take on the situation, Alucard. How different are these FREAKs, truly?"

"Truthfully master, tonight's FREAK's ghouls were unlike any I've ever seen in my considerable un-lifetime. They retain much of their human intelligence, not to mention mobility, despite being dead. If that is any indication, then yes, these FREAKs are indeed different. "

"And any troops we send against them are likely to be slaughtered, correct?"

"Of course."

"Damn."

"Indeed."

My right hand made a rather loud thwack as I slammed it downward in frustration. The thought, 'what the hell am I going to do,' coming unbidden to my mind.

Alucard appraised me for a long moment before saying quietly, "I don't know, master."

I glared at him, mildly shocked that the ancient vampire did not have an answer for once. He flashed his usual feral grin at me, "but, I'm sure you'll figure something out." He began to laugh, "you always do."

"Leave me be, Alucard. I need peace."

Reaching up, the vampire tipped his hat at me before disappearing from view. Cheeky Bastard.

* * *

Walter wasn't very happy with the solution he'd come up with to save his master's organization, but it was frankly the only thing he could think of.

Reaching down he removed the telephone receiver and dialed long distance to America. There were three rings before Walter heard that telltale click, indicating someone had picked up on the other end.

"How did you get this number?"

"You gave it to me eleven years ago, Ms. Garret."

"Ah Mr. Ddolneaz. It's been a long time."

"Indeed."

"Might I ask why you're calling me?"

"I have a procurement job that might interest you Ms. Garret. It would seem my organization is lacking somewhat in troops at the moment."

"Which means of course, you totally lack troops, right Mr. Ddolneaz? Or you wouldn't be calling me."

"Yes."

"Hmm, it's going to cost you Mr. Ddolneaz, my services don't come cheap. Although, you know from experience that I deliver."

"That would be correct Ms. Garret."

"How many troops are you talking about Mr. Ddolneaz?"

"We currently need three battle ready squads, with one in reserve. They must be up to date and knowledgeable in the use of most modern equipment. And since Hellsing Organisation is paying good money for them I expect them to be efficient in killing the supernatural."

"Wire me the standard downpayment, and I'll see what can dig up. Expect to see me in one week. A pleasure doing business with you Mr. Ddolneaz."

The line went dead in Walter's ear and he reached out, setting the receiver down in its cradle. He sighed and rose, brushing away imaginary specks of dirt from his vest. 'Now to break the news to Sir Integra. She's not going to like this, I'm afraid.'

To be continued…

This work is dedicated to my sister. Without her help I would never have been able to sit down and write it in the first place.


	3. Introductions

Disclaimer: I do not own Hellsing, I am merely borrowing its characters for my own amusement; I am not making any money whatsoever on this particular piece of fiction.

* * *

Not a single sound could be heard in the deserted warehouse save for the slight shuffling noises made by a figure making its way across the floor. Perched on a support beam high over head, crouched a second figure in the shadows.

This second figure watched in silence as the first drew near, finally letting out a slight puff of breath as she fell forward off the beam, descending rapidly but quietly to the ground, the hushed whisper of her rappelling gear the only thing to mark her passage.

Had the figure on the ground bothered to look up at any point in his journey, he might have seen the figure as she slide downward, illuminated for the briefest moment as the moon crept out from behind the clouds and shown its light through what was left of the decrepit building's windows.

Reaching the ground at last, she detached herself from the line and stepped deeper into the shadows as the figure moved closer still. She watched as the man, dressed sedately in a dark, but obviously well tailored suit, hesitated at the edge of the pool of moonlight that separated her from him. After a moment that seemed to drag for eternity, the man stepped out, striding forward the metallic case in his left hand illuminated by the light.

"Are you alone?" The woman asked softly out from the shadows, her voice supple and melodic, blending well with the night.

The man jumped, his gaze darting left and right as he reached his free hand into his suit-coat.

"Where are you?" The man called out, his slightly nasal voice reverberated off the walls, echoing into the darkness as the he spun around wildly.

"Calm down, Monsieur." The woman said quietly. "You will alert everyone for miles around if you do not control yourself."

The man stopped his frantic movement, looking forward towards the sound of the woman's voice.

"Come out so I can see you." He stated, speaking less loudly this time.

"But of course." The woman stepped lightly out from the shadows, her arms spread open in a non combative gesture. "As you can see, I am no threat to you. You on the other hand, have violated our original agreement by bringing along a weapon."

As she moved forward, the moonlight illuminated the delicate Asian features of her face, at odds with her French accent.

The man stared for just a bit, taking in her beauty, then shook himself visibly, before grunting and removing his hand from his coat.

"Regardless, shall we be on with it?" He asked, impatiently.

A smirking grin twisted on the woman's lips, mocking the actions of the man, even as they seemed to ask, _you like what you see?_

"Oui," She said calmly. "You wish me to take care of some _business_ for you." The innuendo laid thick in her words, leaving no doubt in the mind what sort of business she referred to. "Do you have the requisite down payment?"

The man coughed, "Ah, yes…some business, indeed. You are aware of the particulars of the mission? I want nothing left behind that could trace its way back to my…ah, shareholders, understood?"

"Yes. I understand quite well, Monsieur." The woman chuckled softly.

Irritation flashed briefly over the man's face. "This is no laughing matter, Madam."

The woman's face stilled, and silence settled over the pair. The air became heavy, possessing a dangerous quality to it, as though the woman had power over the very night itself. The man appeared to shrink in on himself as he started to feel that his own mortality might be in peril.

"The payment." The woman hissed, having lost patience with the man before her.

"Ah, yes…here it is." The man choked out, just barely managing to keep a squeak out of his voice. He stepped towards the woman, reaching out the long, slim case to her.

"Vous Arrêtez," She said, putting a hand up. "Put the case on the ground and open it. Then step away."

Visibly shaken by this point, the man did as she asked without hesitation, scuttling backwards as she advanced on the case. Peering downward, the woman inspected the contents and finding them to her liking she looked back at the man.

"Go. I will contact you when the task has been completed. Reaching down she snapped the case shut and picking it up, backed away from the man, disappearing deep into the shadows.

The man stood for just a second longer, before edging backwards towards the way he'd first come. The silence soon became too much for him, and much to his chagrin he found himself bolting for the door on the far wall, as fast as his feet could take him.

The woman chuckled to herself as she watched the man go, once again perched high above the warehouse floor. Popping the case open again, she played a small light downward illuminating its contents. Lying nestled in a bed of silk was a sword, obviously of Japanese origins, its intricate designs revealing to the woman that this was indeed the sword that she had sought. The money that the man would be paying her upon completion of the job was nothing more than an afterthought in her mind as she gazed upon the Chuusawa sword, her ancestors' legacy, lost to her family since WWII.

"And with this," She said to no one in particular as she drew the sword from its sheath, light flashing along its perfectly curved blade. "I shall have my revenge."

* * *

It was midnight exactly when Billie Garret stepped out of the modified C-47 she used for long-range transport of troops and supplies, raising her arms high over her head as she stretched after the long flight. Coming in at just over six feet tall, the woman looked small standing in the mouth of cargo plane's loading ramp, gazing out at Heathrow airport in London. She sighed, bringing her arms down, crossing them over her chest as she contemplated what exactly she was doing here.

Walter Ddolneaz had called her a week ago requesting soldiers to 'bolster his ranks.' Billie looked heavenward, _Yeah sure, easier said than done. _Billie knew exactly what type of organisation Walter worked for, and she'd had a pretty good idea going into the deal, just what sorts of troops he would be looking for.

The job had looked fairly simple until he'd faxed over the particulars the day after his call. Billie had been most unhappy to discover Walter wanted her to track down specialised troops. We weren't talking your average ex-green berets here. Ddolneaz wanted _supernatural_ hunters. This meant she wasn't going to be able to get away with sending just a few regular squads over to England. She would need to be there in person, leading her own personal team.

She sighed again. _Why can't I ever get the easy job requests_?She thought to herself as she took in her surroundings.

"Well, at least it's not France." She grumbled aloud to no one in particular.

"Hey, I heard that!" Came a hearty cry from behind in heavily accented English, followed by rapid footsteps advancing on her position. A large hand fell heavily on her shoulder, and she reacted blindingly fast, gripping the hand and spinning under her assailant's shoulder to sweep him into a headlock.

Laughter ensued, as she turned the two of them around to face the inside of the cargo plane and the rest of her crew. Giving the large dusty blonde man she held captive a rather thorough noogie, she released him back towards his crew members.

"Don't worry François, I still love you." Billie laughed as the man spun slightly, rubbing his head.

"Don't take it personally, François. The _only _reason Billie doesn't like France it because that's the only place she's ever failed a mission." A small dark haired woman called out from her perch atop a large pile of crates still lashed in place to the deck of the plane.

"For the last time I didn't _fail_ that mission! We still got the package delivered."

"Sure. Two weeks late, and under a voodoo curse. Poor girl." The woman shot back, snickering.

"You shut your face 'Melia. Some sister you are," Billie ground out, mock anger marring an otherwise pleasant face.

"How'dya get a voodoo curse in France?" A voice called out with a Welsh accent from underneath one of the two ground transport vehicles. There was a slight scrapping noise as a youthful face slid into view.

"That's a story best left untold Arvel, my boy. It's not something the Boss likes to talk about often. Though get her drunk and she'll spill the entire sordid tale from start to finish," chuckled the heavily muscled man standing near the truck.

"Gee thanks Marty, you're so supportive." Billie rolled her eyes before looking around.

"Well, does anyone else want to add anything?" She shouted to everyone in general.

"Hanya?" She called out looking over to where a dark-skinned woman possessing a sinewy grace was passing boxes down to a squat barrel of a bearded man. "Mandel? Do you two have anything you want to add? Maybe you can start questioning my leadership skills."

Hanya laughed as she handed down a loaded crate to Mandel. "No, Boss. Not about your leadership skills," her accent definitely Australian carrying a curious lilt, given it by her Aboriginal descent.

"Ja, ve're more concerned vith the benefit's package you're offering us for zis deal. No Dental? And vhat about overtime?" Mandel said in his usual German deadpan.

"Yeah, what're we supposed to do if the ghouls knock our teeth out, huh?" Sounded out a thin dusky skinned boy, the native Hawaiian looking out of place amongst all the military gear in his colorful shirt

"Not you too Kouka!" Billie cried out in pseudo abject horror. "You always used to support me! My entire team's turning on me. What am I gonna do?"

"The same thing you always do, Billie. Put up and shut up." Amelia said, jumping down from her boxes of equipment and crossing to her younger, taller sister. "'Side's you know there's no other group of people you'd want at your back fighting the bad guys than us."

There were nods all around from the rest of the bunch as they all stopped working for a moment to look at their leader. Billie looked at each of them in turn, all of them returning her own gaze fully. Despite their joking, Billie knew Amelia was right; every last one of them would work as hard as possible to ensure the safety of the others. There was no other group she'd rather have under her command.

"You guys could at least _pretend _to respect me, you know." Billie finally said, giving up with a sigh.

"Aw, where would be the fun in that?" François said a smile spreading across his face as he walked back up the ramp to finish unloading.

"Where indeed…" Billie was about to continue when Amelia punched her lightly in the shoulder.

"Hey, Billie. We've got company." She said, drawing Billie's attention towards two people walking quickly towards the plane.

Billie scrutinized the pair as they made their way across the tarmac. The one on the left most definitely Walter, not looking much older than he originally had eleven years ago. The other must be Sir Integra, Walter's current employer.

"Funny, _Sir_ Integra sure looks like a woman to me." Billie mumbled under her breath.

"Hmm?" Amelia said, looking up at her younger sister, but Billie just waved her hand.

"It's nothing. Take over for me here. I want all this unloaded by the time I get done with these two." As she stepped away from her sister Billie couldn't help but take one last jab at Amelia, "It's mostly your stuff left on board anyways. Did you have to bring your _entire_ lab with you?"

"It's not my _entire_ lab!" Amelia shouted as Billie moved away. "Just most of it!" this admission garnering another shared laugh from the group, Amelia turning to stick her tongue out at the collective bunch before ordering them to hustle to it.

Knowing full well that her sister was capable of getting the job done, Billie turned her attention to the task at hand. From what she knew of Sir Integra from Walter the woman was sure and determined, possessing a very clear idea of her path in life. From what Billie could see of the woman drawing towards her, she could make a good guess that the woman was also a little uptight, cynical, and probably devoid of most forms of humour, except perhaps that dry wit that all of Britain was famous for. This was going to be an interesting assignment.

"Ah, Ms. Garret!" Walter exclaimed as soon as she was within reasonable earshot. "I trust your flight went smoothly?"

"Indeed it did Mr. Ddolneaz. How have you been?" Billie countered.

"Well enough," Walter said, making a slight bow. "But I am forgetting myself. Please, let me introduce my employer. Billie Garret, meet Sir Integra Wingates Hellsing head of Hellsing Organisation."

"Your reputation precedes you, Ms. Garret. I pray, for the sake of my Organisation, that you will live up to it." Integra said, extending a hand towards Billie.

Billie grinned a bit sardonically, and said smoothly as she grasped the woman's hand, "_Your _reputation precedes you as well, it would seem. I'm certain my group will more than surpass your expectations, _Ms_. Hellsing."

As she turned her face completely towards Sir Integra, the terminal lighting illuminated Billie's features fully for the first time. There came a barely stifled gasp from the woman, as the light glinted off two of Billie's most distinctive features.

"Oh, Walter. Please tell me you didn't!" Billie exclaimed looking from Integra's well concealed shock to Walter's somewhat sheepish grin. "Tell me you didn't tell the leader of the most well known vampire hunting organisation in the world that I was a vampire!"

To be continued……

As always, this fic is dedicated to my sister. Without her help, and constant nagging, none of you would be reading this chapter today.

And thank you, all that have reviewed. The feedback is greatly appreciated.


End file.
